Combine croutons and spices in the bowl of a food processor, pulse until you have fine crumbs, place mixture in a large bowl. Combine onion, carrot, garlic, and bell pepper in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Combine the veggies with the crumbs, meat, salt, and egg; mix until just combined.Stir together glaze ingredients.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, form the meat mixture into a loaf shape. At this point you can either bake it or freeze it for later.Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes, brush on the glaze then return to the oven and continue baking until it reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees.Freeze until frozen solidly and then wrap in freezer paper until ready to use.To cook in the crockpot, slice 1-2 potatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices and place in a single layer on the bottom of your crockpot. Place a frozen meatloaf on top of them and brush the top with the glaze. Cook on low for ~6 hours.Based on Good Eats Meatloaf from Alton BrownNote:Alton calls for half ground chuck and half ground sirloin. I prefer the texture of half beef and half turkey or pork.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and let sit for 4+ hours. Pour the contents of the bowl into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat, keeping it just at a slow boil for around 20 minutes or until thickened(somewhat like apple butter). If you want it smoother, puree with an immersion blender.